Circumcision

Last Friday we got Declan circumcised. Admittedly, as I'm sure with any new parent of a boy, we were pretty nervous. But rather than getting it done at the hospital, Rachel's midwife Jennifer recommended a Mohel that is very experienced. We did some research and were surprised about how circumcisions are generally done.

If you're unaware, hospital circumcisions are usually a 20- to 30-minute procedure that you are not allowed to be there for. The baby boy is strapped down on a mini plastic board to restrain him and then his foreskin is essentially cotterized. 

Not what we wanted to suffer through, let alone have Declan suffer through either. We were told that Rabbi Rovinsky was great and had a lot of experience. He has performed over 8,000 circumcisions over the last 20 plus years. Not only that, but by Jewish law, it is suppose to be as quick and painless as possible for the little boy. 20 seconds. 20 seconds! That was it! He explained everything ahead of time and answered all our questions before beginning. When actually doing the procedure, he even offered to have me perform the actual circumcision myself. I declined (didn't wanna screw up and end up with another daughter, no matter how much I love Annalyn), but I did get to be there and hold him while the rabbi did it. 

Yes, Declan still cried a little, but no where near what my preconceived notions were. Rabbi Rovinsky gave us our instructions for caring for him for the next few days while it heals and really put us at ease as to the whole process.

Even as I'm writing this, Declan is right beside me, sound asleep. He's a tough little guy. After going through with it, any question of whether or not we should do it was cleared up: I'm glad we decided to get it done. I feel a new bond with my son - closer to him than ever before. I think the next most traumatizing thing to worry about next after facing this though is Annalyn dating. Luckily, that's still at least 30 years away.

Declan Matthew Peck

We have a new member in our family! Declan was born October 17th, 2013 at 12:51 pm. At 8 lbs. 7 oz. and 22" long, he was a healthy happy baby.

At first, Rachel didn't think she was going into labor, since her due date wasn't until October 29th. We had originally calculated it to be on the 15th, but apparently neither of us were right...it was the 17th! So Rachel's contractions started at about 3:30 in the morning and they were regular and strong enough that she wasn't able to go back to sleep. Once I woke up at the usual time for work we started timing her contractions. Turns out, despite Rachel thinking they weren't regular enough, they warranted a call to Jennifer, her midwife, who came out to check. 

I took off for work, knowing there was nothing immediate that was going to happen that I'd miss by leaving right then. Shortly after I started loading drivers, I got a call saying that the baby was definitely coming today! The challenge was in me now getting back home; my assistant Floyd was on vacation that week and so I had to stay - no one else could watch the place. In despiration, I called Floyd to see if he would be willing to come in during his vacation to cover while I left to be with Rachel during the delivery.

An hour later he was there, and I was on my way home. Once I arrived, my first assignment was to leave - to take Annalyn over to Britney Lewis, one of Rachel's friends. Understandably, we needed her away so as to not be a possible distraction when Rachel needs to focus.

She progressed very well during labor. It was only an hour after transition started that he arrived, and pushing was only 20 minutes of that! He was making his first sounds right away, and surprised the midwives with how healthy and responsive he was.  It was a beautiful experience; I would not have missed it for anything. Rachel loved having him at home! So much so, that she wants the rest of out kids born at home. She really liked being able to look around and see familiar things, especially photos of family.

Mom and baby are still doing great. Everyone's healthy and happy, and Declan continues to put on weight. And now, we just need to adjust to living off very little sleep...

Annalyn's Dentist Visit

A couple weeks ago Annalyn went to the dentist. We thought she had chipped her tooth when she was playing with a friend, that she was just her usual tough self and didn't really cry about the pain. Turns out, she had two tiny cavities on her two front teeth.

The initial visit with the pediatric dentist was pretty traumatizing for her and she clearly was distraught for the rest of the day. So knowing that the actual fillings would be much worse, I arranged to leave work to go help Rachel with holding her down.

She did fine in the lobby, since she saw other kids there coming out of the dentist's happy and excited. It wasn't until we went back and she saw the chair that she remembered the place. She clung to mommy as if she knew she would never come back, at least as the same person. It took Rachel holding her knees to keep her legs down, me holding her wrists and hips together, and an assistant holding her head to keep her still enough for the dentist and another assistant to do the actual work of filling the cavities. Poor thing!

But he was a patient, fantastic dentist, and the whole thing was done in under 20 minutes - though to Annalyn I'm sure it felt more like several hours. Near the end they had to set a clamp in her mouth just  wide enough to keep her from biting his fingers over and over again. It made it hard to hear what it was she then started trying to say, but I had my guess. Turns out I was right. When everything was done and the clamp came out, she was saying, "Up! Up!" She wanted out of the chair so badly! And when I held her in my arms afterward she was clinging so tightly, I never felt so needed by her.

It was a simple procedure, two tiny cavities was all, but if course for a two-year-old, she thought she was going to her grave. She got a couple of free toys out of it though, one from the dentist and one from us, and then we topped it all off with her favorite fries from Arby's. By the end of lunch, she was giggling again!

Prepping the Yard for Autumn

Autumn is my favorite season. To get the yard ready for it, I ended up doing more than I expected I would ever have to do. The lawn is still struggling to flourish, but it is doing better. I was initially hoping to take care of everything in one day, but I eventually just wore myself out in the front yard. I would've had the time to do it, but I just ran out of steam. Hopefully you will understand why as I go down the list...

To start off, I raked up the leaves. We have a giant oak in the front and it's just starting to drop it leaves. So every week we have plenty of leaves to rake (and acorns.....wow, so many acorns). Follow the raking with mowing. I use a manual reel mower which I find great satisfaction in using, but it is a little more work. After mowing came the dethatching. It's a simple task and doesn't take a ton of effort (having the right tool helps), but it's slow going to do it right, so it does end up being pretty exhausting. After that was the aerating. I used a cane-shaped two-holed aerator that you step on the punch holes with. Slightly awkward each time, so multiply that out by several hundred holes for the entire yard. I had to stop a few times to sit and catch my breath. After that I was finally able to overseed the lawn and seed the bare spots, followed by fertilizing, followed by a limestone treatment. Phew!

By noon I was spent. I was done. I was...not looking forward to doing the same thing to the back yard. So I'm taking that one in steps. I'm up to having about 2/3 of the aerating completed. I'll have to still mow again, and the leaves keep coming down faster and faster, so that will continue as well. Luckily, I'll only have to do about half of all this - again - in the spring.

The Anxiety is Over

I figured it would be a good idea to get back to blogging since I have some free time again, now that the exam is over.

Ah, the relief of saying that: it's over! I finally took the Probability exam. This was my third attempt at passing it. I'll have to wait for eight weeks before I get my results back, but I have to say, I feel like this was the most comprehendable exam of the three. 

I felt I was as prepared as I possibly could be for it. After all, I have spent almost every night of the past year studying for it for several hours at a time. If I pass, I'll finally be able to start working on the next exam (financial mathematics) as well as start looking for open entry-level positions as an actuary. If not, I don't know if I can take studying this material again for another few months, knowing that I still can't begin a career yet as an actuary. I may have to look for another avenue.

Despite that though, I really have enjoyed studying; the subject matter of risk analysis and probability is still very fascinating. If it's of any interest as well for anyone reading this, I highly recommend the book, "Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk." It's an amazing book that explains the development of the concept of risk - how it began, up to how it effects us in our world today. Very interesting stuff.

So Rambunctious

Annalyn will be turning 3 come January. As anyone that has kids will know, that's an age that's incredibly full of energy and spunk. We've had fun with her as fall has started to set in as she explores fallen leaves, pumpkin patches and crisp air. 

Annalyn has been able to talk more which is great! She's answering questions, asking questions, letting us know what she needs, and pointing out any bug she finds. Whenever we're out working in the yard, she inevitably gets into the dirt and becomes a filthy mess. No amount of, "Annalyn, stay out of the dirt" or, "Annalyn, play on the grass" will stop her from discovering the wonders of dirt.

She continues to be more and more of a handful, especially for Rachel, as she's nearing the end of her pregnancy with Declan. It's kind of hard to tell if it's just her age, or if she really knows that she's pushing our buttons...

Went to the Hospital

There was an Egyptian exhibit at the Science Museum this summer, and before it left for good we finally decided to go see it. The weather was still decent and not terribly hot. It had been a while since we saw the museum and thought that by now most people had seen it already (can you tell we like avoiding crowds?).

We got off to a little bit of a late start in the morning so we knew that parking wasn't quite going to be a day at the park - even though we were going to the park... Anyway, after taking the long way through, which was very scenic and enjoyable since I have never seen that part of Forest Park, we reached the Science Museum on the far side. I dropped off Rachel and Annalyn at the door and went to find a parking spot. The way I took ended up taking me out of Forest Park and into Barnes-Jewish Hospital (hence I went to the hospital) and had to fight through absurd traffic just to turn around.

Finally I got back to the science center and found an excellent spot. Met up with the family and had lunch before we headed over to the Egyptian exhibit. Once we got there we realized something. The exhibit seemed a little familiar, like we had been there before. And then it hit us: we had been to the exact same exhibit when we lived in Texas! The EXACT same! Same mummy, same reader boards, same children activities, same overpriced exhibit. The funny thing was when we took pictures on the camel, we realized Rachel was just as far along with Annalyn the first time we went as she is now with Declan! The following pictures prove it. Here is Rachel in Texas pregnant with Annalyn:

And here she is pregnant with Declan just recently, also at 7 1/2 months along:

Uncanny, right? However entertaining this epiphany was, we are not about to hunt down this ridiculous camel for everyone additional pregnancy we have.

After laughing it all off, we let Annalyn play around for a while, seeing how she didn't get to see it the first time. And then we called it a day. 

New Ride

We got fed up with all the problems our Lexus was giving us. We added up all the expenses we've put into repairs, NOT including maintenance, and it averaged out to be an additional $120 a month for the thing. That didn't register well with either of us (or Annalyn) so we made the decision to replace it. We also wanted something that could accommodate our family getting bigger over the years; we hoped to get something with low miles so it would last a long while.

So we ended up getting a 2004 Honda Pilot. We had a Honda before the Lexus and it was great, which is what led us to looking at them again. And so far I'd have to say, it's been such a relief not having to deal with the problems. We've been dealing with them for so long, that once we got the new vehicle, we had forgotten part of what we were missing!

At the end of the day, it's so nice to know that we have a much more reliable vehicle that's cheaper as well. We found out all too soon why we got such a 'good deal' on our last car. It was comforting to work with someone upfront with us.

MORAL: There is ALWAYS another car out there...always. If any red flags pop up in your mind, be prepared to, and okay with, walking away.

Grant's Farm

It's been a while since I've posted. Life tends to sneak up on you, especially when you're busy.

A couple weeks ago we went to Grant's Farm again. It's kind of like Wheeler Farm, if it was operated by Anheuser-Busch. And it's more than just a farm, it's a wilderness preserve that has animals from all over the world! 6 continents are represented with a diverse collection of deer from all over, as well as many  birds and other wildlife. They also had a couple animals shows. One was similar to that at Hogle Zoo or Tracy Aviary with trained birds and small animals. They also have an elephant show which was excellent.

Annalyn was even able to feed a goat. They sell small bottles of milk that you can purchase for $1.00 that you can feed the goats. You have the option of actually going into the goat's pen to feed them, but they always seem a little too over eager, and there's always more goats than bottles...or people. I wouldn't be surprised if there were over 50 goats there anxious to be fed.

It was a really fun day. We had hopes of going a couple weeks before we actually went since the weather was so nice, but it was far too crowded. By the time we went the new school year had started, and we left earlier in the day. So it was still nice, not too hot, and not crowded at all. We all enjoyed ourselves, especially Annalyn - who finally got to pet her very first pony.

We Don't Have a Baby Anymore

Annalyn has officially graduated from her crib to a twin bed! She looked way to big for her crib, but now she looks too small for her new bed. That's okay, we're happy to see her growing up. She's no longer a baby, she's a little girl now!

The new bed came at a welcome time for Annalyn. This past week she had a fever and was stuffed up pretty bad. As a result, she wasn't getting very good sleep. But her big new comfy bed changed that in a hurry! Rachel took excellent care of her to help her get over her bug, and she loves going to sleep now. It's never been a real problem putting her down at night; we have a strict routine every evening that Annalyn knows and is accustomed to. But her new bed is so big and so comfortable, she's even easier to put down - she might even be looking forward to bedtime! At least, for a awhile...

Bad health has been getting to all of us recently. I injured my back (again) on Saturday. Must've tweaked it just wrong, or added the last straw, either way my back said it was done. And it's been out for almost a week now. Mornings have been really debilitating. Each day has been a little better than the last though, and Rachel has been an absolute angel in helping me get back to full strength. She got me a heating pad for home and some heating packs for work, and she's always there to help me with stretching to keep me limbered up so I can keep going. Even Annalyn helps out. The other morning when I was laying on the floor in pain, she brought me one of my golf balls to comfort me. She then followed that up by bringing me a copy of my latest magazine. Even at 2 years old, I'm amazed at the emotional insight a person, particularly a little girl, can have with those around her that she loves. It's easy to see the nurturing side that is so divinely innate in her personality.

Rachel's about to hit her 30 week mark! Declan is still  continuing to grow just fine. But 30 weeks means 10 more weeks still to go - not exactly right around the corner. And Rachel is wondering how big Declan is going to get before he arrives. Still struggling with some sciatic pain, but you wouldn't know it with how well she carries on with everything she does. But Annalyn is all but over her fever now, if not completely healed. We hope that her recovery is a good omen for my back to finish healing, as well as Rachel's sciatica to stop acting up, and she'll be able to wrap up her last trimester without too much to fuss over.

Ice Blocking

Last Tuesday night for mutual we had a combined activity to go ice blocking. I'm pretty sure the last time I actually went ice blocking was when I was about 10 and I went with my sister Melissa when she was a beehive. Needless to say, I did not slide down the hill with a cold brick under my butt.

But I did get to watch some of the young men and young women get a little crazy - not to mention a couple of the adults.

We had originally scheduled the activity for two weeks prior, but we were unable to locate any ice blocks. Gas stations, grocers, everywhere was checked....nothing. So we had to postpone until some blocks were located by the manufacturer. Yes, we had to find someone who 'manufactures' ice blocks.

Everyone had a really good time. No one wanted to stop, especially when they started making groves in the grass which helped them slide even further. Even the bishop got involved and had fun!

Just before the ice blocks melted to the point where they couldn't be used, we decided to call it an evening. Everyone was safe, no one got hurt. Afterwards, we told stories of activities past, and Fred enjoyed a little of the ice himself.

"Where You Going Baby?"

The library here in St. Louis had a reading program this summer that Annalyn participated in that rewarded her with a children's book and a free evening at The Magic House. The Magic House is a children's museum - one of the greatest places I've ever seen for kids. It is a huge 4-story building full of play rooms for kids. From a grocery store to fishing to court rooms to a static ball, a Lewis and Clark campsite, a Sherlock Holmes mystery den, and dozens of others. It could easily take a day or two to really do everything there. She really enjoyed herself.

She's been picking up more and more words, and can be understood a lot more clearly when she speaks in sentences. A common one Rachel hears during the day is, "Where you going baby?" Which makes her wonder if that's what Annalyn hears several times throughout the day.

The other day at the mall we let Annalyn loose on the world, but still kept an eye on her while trying to keep up! She can take off pretty quick, as most active kids her age tend to do. She has this new thing she does now where she spins her left arm around like a windmill as she runs. We don't know what she thinks it's suppose to be doing for her, or if she's just being silly, but either way, it's adorable. During one of her runs she about ran into a family walking straight towards her. Just before a collision took place, she stopped, looked up at them and clearly said, "Oops! Sowwie!"

We're very proud that she's so polite.

She's been good at saying 'goodbye' for anyone; sometimes she'll even throw in a 'love you!' thinking that it's just part of 'goodbye'which is sweet. Her greeting has gotten better lately too. Not only will she say 'Hi' but again quite frequently she'll add a 'How you doing?' We love her to death! We can't waiting for her to meet Declan when he joins our family.

Botanical Gardens

This past Saturday we went to the Botanical Gardens. Rachel said that its the largest botanical garden in the nation? The world? I can't remember, but I was not disappointed! The gardens were huge, and beautifully manicured.

There were several different themes that the garden featured, such as a Chinese garden, an English woodland garden, an Ottoman garden, Japanese garden, and many others. We didn't have time for them all, but we got to see most of it. Being a resident of the county, we get in free on Saturday mornings, so we'll definitely go back soon to see the rest.

First we went to the children's garden. Annalyn wasn't thrilled at first when we got there. Traffic was a nightmare all over the city (surely a result of everyone wanting to get out and enjoy the incredible weather we've been enjoying) and Annalyn was already fed up with it. But once we made it to the children's garden she had completely changed. She got to ride the 'sheep', which is hopefully a precursor to an interest in mutton busting when she gets a little older. Plenty of inter-connecting playgrounds with different garden themes for her to play on, and she even got to plant her very own cabbage plant that she got to take home with her - we just have to get it in our vegetable garden now. There was also a sand box that was apparently a new experience for Annalyn. She's been to the beach before, but she must not have remembered it; the sand was such a wondrous new thing to her and she simply loved the texture and flow of the sand. She didn't care about the toys, she just wanted to feel the sand. Eventually, she want to feel all she could -

Took us several minutes to clean all the sand off her, and Rachel found and extra helping the next time her diaper got changed. Silly girl! Can't help but wanna keep her!

The way out of the children's garden that we decided to take proved to be challenging for not only our wee 2 year-old, but for her 6-month pregnant mother as well. Nonetheless, climbing up a rope bridge ended up being quite fun for all of us.

We went to the Chinese garden next and saw some incredible flowers there. They also had a small roughcut stone table and stone benches just right for Annalyn that reminded her of a book of hers that tells a story of a fairy table.

The boxleaf bush garden was absolutely stunning! I've never seen so many ornamental chili peppers used before! Yellows and reds and purples.....okay now I sound obsessed.... But it was still really cool to see!

Next was the English woodland garden, which was more of a forest than a garden, but there were several ground covers and a stream that sounded very relaxing. It was a really nice day, but it felt good to get out of the sun for a bit. It was about the only part of the entire place that had enough trees (that you could walk under) to give plenty of shade.

The maze was a lot of fun too. Annalyn and I chased each other around for a while. It wasn't a real challenge, but it was still a pretty good maze. 

The last area that we visited was the Ottoman garden. It had some very interesting architecture with the garden. There was a fairly elaborate sundial, but not too many markings to explain how it worked, apparently as a yearly calendar as well. Also, a neat throne and pergola at the head of the garden.

It was a fantastic outing on one of the most beautiful days we've had all summer! And we didn't even get to see everything. We'll definitely be coming back to enjoy more.

After the Ultrasound

The ultrasound was a few weeks ago where we found out that our new addition is going to be a healthy, active little boy! The due date is still confirmed for October 29th, and we've decided to name him Declan Matthew Peck.

Declan, as we've looked up, is a Celtic name meaning 'man of goodness' and certainly hope and pray that we can help him turn out to be such a man. His middle name, obviously named for me, should hopefully instill in him the importance of his ancestry.

Having a boy will certainly be different then having a girl. Admittedly, when Annalyn was on the way, I was hoping for a boy - what brand new father wouldn't? But once Annalyn came (the story of her birth is a beautiful one in and of itself) and I got to know her, I came to the conclusion that I wanted at least one boy, and I didn't care how many girls! So with our second, I knew we still wouldn't be done, and if we had another girl, that would be just as exciting!

But we are having a boy now, and since it will be our first boy, I'm sure there are lots of things we just haven't experienced yet that will make me want another boy too. Going to the ultrasound was an experience I was looking forward to, and I wasn't disappointed. I loved seeing him for the first time. It was exhilarating to find out it's going to be a boy, but as time has gone on, I do think more and more about roughhousing with him, helping him make his first putt, and teaching all kinds of manly things he'll need to know to be a decent, provident husband and father. As a result, I get more excited by the day.

So far, every appointment with the midwife has shown a healthy pregnancy and Rachel is taking excellent care of Declan and herself. And yes, she is planning on having this one naturally as well, and we are going to have the added experience of this one being a home birth. We're both looking forward to that.

100 days till due date! He's kicking and fighting his older sister already when she's on Momma's lap...I think we're going to have to buckle up for the ride of our lives while these two grow up together.

Grass Isn't Just Grass

When we first moved into our new home it was early spring, and the lawn was still fairly dormant. Now that summer is in full swing, we can now see how much work both the front and the back yards need.

We were told by our next door neighbor Emilio that the elderly couple that lived here before us spent a lot of time outside. The lady, he said, would be out twice a day everyday, morning and evening, down on her hands and knees trimming the grass by hand with lawn shears. I guess he thought that meant they were meticulous and sentimental about their landscaping. Well we certainly didn't care for how overgrown all the bushes had become, and wanted to do something about the major weed problems. 

To date I've ripped out two truckloads worth of bushes and have at least one more truck load still to uproot. Lots of bare ground is now our motif in the front. In back it hasn't been quite as major, but bushes have come out of there as well. We have a maple and I think a sweet gum tree out back that are perfectly positioned to tie up a hammock between, so I've backed off the grass and mulched around them. Out front we have a large oak, and we've recently done the same to it. To our dismay, the squirrels here love to dig, eat, and bathe in the mulch. Every so often I have to clean up the edges of the scattered mulch chips. 

As spring came on we got to see some of the bushes and plants blossom, so we decided from that too which ones we wanted to keep. Most of the blossoms that we like are gone now, so it'll be next spring before I can post some pictures of them. We did have to take out some of the flowers though, like some day lilies that were in the perfect spot for a vegetable garden. Right now we've got zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes planted. the sugar peas and the lettuce didn't survive the severe rainstorms and tornadoes that we've had this year. 

With so much bare ground out front I tried getting some grass seed down to fill it in. From the picture above you can see the pathetic result from my sad attempt at getting grass to grow mid summer. Oh well. I did get something to grow! We'll just have to wait for fall when we can get some sod. It's nice to have several nurseries close by; we have several sod options available and I'm excited to see the lawn get to where I'd like it to be. 

We also have been fighting a mole problem that looks like its already starting to curb with the treatment we gave the lawn in getting rid of the grubs that they are apparently after. I hope we can keep them away. Moles are so devastating to the lawn! If the lawn isn't full of weeds somewhere, then its thin from all the destroyed roots from the moles. 

Sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming with everything I want to get done in the yard. But at the same time I love working in it! Being raised doing yard work I'm surprised how much I've learned now that I'm a homeowner, especially about lawn care. I've got a fertilization coming up in two weeks, a weed treatment a month later, then dethatching, aerating, sod and overseeding just a month or two after that. This weekend I plan on finishing up the flagstone landing area in front of our porch with creeping thyme as a gap filler. I'll grab some pictures now to post some before-and-after shots. Too bad I didn't get them when we first started out with a quarter acre of hideous bushes!

Taking the Plunge...Maybe the Plunger Too

This week is already starting to prove eventful. The studying hiatus is over and I've placed on a rigid schedule in hopes of taking the exam again Sept. 28th, which means 12 weeks of review. My goal is to get in a minimum of 100 hours of study in before then. Fingers crossed (but not holding my breath - c'mon, 12 weeks?) that this last bit - working hundreds of problems - is all I need now to pass.

Rachel is finally over her cold that she had and is now ambitiously attempting two major tasks with Annalyn: potty training (or housebreaking as I like to call it) and getting rid of the pacifier. To her credit, she has stuck to her guns and Annalyn is already starting to make excellent progress. I don't know how Rachel has the patience to potty train. Come to think of it as I'm writing this, I don't know how my mom had the patience to train me! I'm glad Rachel's willing though. I couldn't handle sitting in the bathroom for 20 minutes at a time waiting, waiting...waiting... Or cleaning up the accidents. She's a trooper to see that it gets done.

Some very wonderful things have quickly started to happen with ditching the pacifier, such as Annalyn eating more, and speaking more! Don't get me wrong, Annalyn is a pretty good eater, but Rachel has had a lot fewer struggles in trying to get her to eat when she isn't interested in eating. The speech has been a lot of fun too. Not only has she been saying words she knows a lot more, she's picking up new words much faster! Even though it seems she's trying to fill her empty, binky-less mouth with anything she can, be it food or words (sometimes her own arm that she sucks on), our little girl is taking her next big step toward growing up.

We went to the farmer's market again this past Saturday and I was reminded why we go. The smell of fresh produce picked after it has ripened, the lively music, the friendly farmers...it's always been worth going, and I always leave so full! Compared to the grocery store, farmer's market food is ambrosia. Rachel cooked up some of the green beans and golden potatoes on Tuesday that we got there and it was as good as any professional could conjure. It reminded me, "Oh yeah, that's right! Food can taste this good!" Rachel is already an accomplished chef, and having high quality ingredients only make each meal that much more exciting.

Happy 4th!

We had a great Fourth of July celebration this year, and thanks to Rachel's great ideas and family traditions, we enjoyed more than just fireworks and barbecue. Rachel has been missing the traditions that she was raised with when she was growing up. Now that we have our own place, we finally have the room to entertain a few of the ideas that she had for us and the friends we invited over. The Muirs and the Lewis' joined us for a fun afternoon and evening, thanks to Rachel's great planning and hosting skills.

I spent the morning getting the yard as ready as possible for when everyone came over. A word of advice: do not take out a stump with nothing more than a shovel and a mattock and then try to do the limbo in the same day. My back didn't like it, and I bet yours wouldn't either. Once the yard work was all squared away, we took care of some last minute shopping. One minor beef about St. Louis that I've recently developed is their firework laws. Legal in one county, but NOT across the river in another county!? Forget that! We'd rather enjoy life. Our neighbors enlightened us to the fact that no one really cares, and in fact, we had one of the more mild firework displays on the street. So we figured things would be alright if we bought a few kid-friendly ones to keep them and everyone else happy.

The fun began at 5 when everyone showed up. First thing's first - food. We grilled up some burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken breast to give everyone a variety and the sides were classic. Watermelon, chips, pasta salad, a great bean dip - everyone had their fill. The kids tried to shoo away the flies as best they could as they ate on the patio, but they must've been just as hungry. The best idea to get rid of them came when Dave Muir told his son Matthew to just wave at them. So, listening to his dad, Matthew gave the flies a friendly hello wave :)

The Piñata was a huge hit with the kids. Even Vance Lewis got in on the action once all the kids had a few turns whacking the thing. Annalyn was probably thinking something more along the lines of a drum, but once the candy flew, she figured it out!

 The limbo was a lot of fun too. Again, do not attempt if you've taken out any stumps the same day. Unfortunately the kids didnt quite seem to understand the concept, so the adults got in on the fun and enjoyed making fools of ourselves. Rachel stole the show when she made it under the stick with Annalyn in her arms and being 5 months pregnant. Quite the champ!

The fireflies that we were hoping to catch weren't nearly as plentiful as they usually are. Must've bed the crowd and the smoke from the fireworks that kept them away. But a few we're caught, and all the kids had a blast.

Finally it was dark enough to set off more than just the sparklers and snaps. We were surprised at how high they went. Utah's height limitation on fireworks definitely gave us a low expectation on how they'd look. Many of them shot more than 20 feet in the air! All in all, not a bad show.

Ultimately, everyone seemed to have an enjoyable time. Everyone was safe and well-fed. We hope to be able to have just as fun next year....but I probably won't limbo.